Ford F150 vs Lexus LM 500H

What's the difference?

The Ford F-150 Lariat LWB is a big comfortable, purpose-built work and adventure machine – but it’s better suited to load-lugging, towing and touring, than it is to hard-core 4WDing.

Despite that – and its less-than-ideal payload – there’s a lot to like about the Lariat, especially its on-road performance, 4.5 tonne towing capacity and factory-backed warranty.

If you’re serious about buying a US ute the F-150 should be in your sights.

The Lexus LM 500h is luxurious, comfortable, practical, easy to drive and expensive. While it may appear to be the ultimate family car, with only four seats it's limited in terms of how many kids and their friends you can carry. On top of that, the privacy screen introduces accessibility issues to the kids you wouldn't encounter on other vehicles. If you are thinking of a Lexus people mover as your next family car I'd suggest looking at the LM 350h which has seven seats and no privacy screen. If you’re looking at a business class executive van the LM 500h would be perfect. 

The long-wheelbase F-150 Lariat is 6184mm long (with a 3994mm wheelbase), 2030mm wide, 1995mm high and has a kerb weight of 2555kg.

With a stretched wheelbase and chunkified body everywhere you look, this F-150 looks and feels massive but, really, this is not a whole lot bigger than a Ranger, 300 Series LandCruiser, or a new-gen Patrol. It does, however, have an undeniably in-your-face presence.

For reference, the Ranger is 5370mm long, 1920mm wide, and 1880mm high; the LC300 (Sahara ZX) is 5015mm long, 1980mm wide, and 1950mm high; and the Patrol is 5165mm long (all variants), 1995mm wide (all variants) and 1940mm/1955mm high.

The Lariat’s 20-inch chrome-like alloys, shod with Pirelli Scorpion ATR all-terrain light truck tyres (275/60R20) cap off this US pick-up’s bulky style.

A lot of its notable design features are thoroughly functional rather than noteworthy because of their looks, so rather than include them in this section you'll find them in ‘Practicality’ (below).

The LM 500h doesn't look real. More like a concept vehicle with its vertical face wearing that enormous grille. Feels like if you watched it for long enough you’d catch it transforming into some kind of robot. Yet, at the same time its styling is elegant and prestigious.

I have a confession to make. I used this Lexus as my office. Its interior is that comfortable and spacious. I'm also a parent and there were times where it was the quietest place to get some work done.

It also let me observe people's reactions as they walked past with their dogs not knowing what was going on inside behind those tinted windows. The people that noticed were clearly car enthusiasts as they knew what they were looking at and couldn't pass without gaping it awe.

The LM 500h’s interior is superbly plush with thick carpets, beautiful copper metallic trim and nappa leather seats.

As I’ve said, the cockpit up front is less luxurious than the extravagant first class section in the back behind that dividing wall.

And yes, I’ve seen large screens before but nothing that stretches the width of the vehicle.

The interior of the F-150 is cavernous, but it’s functional and comfortable with a definite premium look and feel about it all.

From the front of the cabin to the rear, this space is geared towards being practical.

For one, the multi-media system is easy to pair to your phone and operate. Just allow yourself a few minutes before you set off in the Lariat for the first time so you can get your head around how to navigate your way through the system.

There’s ample storage space – including a deep centre console*, cupholders and bottle-holders for everyone, as well as the usual glove box (times two) and seat pockets for rear-seat passengers.

*In a stroke of Ford genius, the auto shifter power-folds forward into a recess, giving you room to unfold the lid of the centre console and turn that large surface into a picnic table or work desk.

Space is further maximised in the rear 60/40-split seat as it has a fold-out storage area underneath it, or the seat itself, if not in use, can be stowed away to free up even more room in the cabin.

The stretched Lariat’s tub is 2005mm long and 1656mm wide with 1285mm between the wheel-arches – so it will fit an Aussie pallet, or a quad bike, camping gear etc. 

This load space also has a 12-volt outlet, night lights, a tub camera (which I couldn’t get to work), a durable-looking spray-in tub liner, as well as fixed tie-down points at each corner and four sidewall-mounted tie-down points (two on each inner wall).

Remember I mentioned some design features that err on the side of practical rather than pretty? I’m talking about this F-150’s chunky side-steps, which serve an obvious practical function, and its remote-controlled and power-assisted tailgate (a nifty feature), its fold-out step (a real handy addition) and the accompanying slide-out guide pole for something secure to hold onto as you climb in and out of the tub – well, that’s what we used it for anyway, whether that’s its intended purpose or not.

Bonus usage points for the raised ruler markings on the inner wall of the tailgate and the two G-clamp fitting positions at each side of the tailgate’s top edge.

The Lariat even has a keyless entry system with a keypad on the exterior of the vehicle (front passenger door). Punch in your permanent access code and bingo, you're in!

You might be able to take Lexus out of Toyota but it's very hard to take Toyota out of Lexus and this particularly applies to the practicality of the LM 500h.

Every day I discovered new compartments, tray tables and storage areas. There are so many cabinets, lockers and hidey holes that we almost left my belongings (an entire family of plushie toy capybaras) behind because there are so many places to check.

Of course, I'm talking about the rear compartment here because up front there's not much storage. In fact, it proved to be quite a problem in that I had nowhere to put my bag with somebody sitting next to me and no area behind the front seats to stow it, either.

Talking of seats, the LM 500h only has four of them, with two up front and two in the rear. Up front, the seats are supportive and large, but the rear seats - those are, well... have a look at the images.

We’re talking two large captain's chairs that look as though they’ve been removed from the first class section of a plane.

And while this might be suitable for businesses shuttling a couple of executives to and from meetings, for a family, even with two children, the extra couple of seats a third row offers would come in handy.

The LM 350h has seven seats over three rows and no privacy screen. A far better choice for families.

For device charging there are USB ports up front and in the rear. There are wireless phone chargers for those in the back seats but not up front.

The LM 500h has a cargo capacity of 752 litres with all seats in place.

The Lexus LM 500h sits at the top of its range and is without a doubt one of the most expensive people movers on Earth with its list price of $220,888.

As you would imagine the standard features list is as extensive as it is extravagant.

For starters, while the regular LM 350h has two rows of seating in the rear (seven seats all up, including the front two), the 500h has the third row removed and just two super luxurious and enormous fully reclining seats fill the entire space. It’s like a theatre back there.

That theatre theme keeps going with a media screen in the back so large it stretches the width of the vehicle. Seriously, it's a 48-inch screen to watch movies or connect to your device.

The sound system is probably the best I’ve experienced - a spine tinglingly incredible 23-speaker Mark Levinson set-up.

What else can I tell you? Those rear seats are upholstered in beautifully soft semi-aniline leather. They’re heated and ventilated with a massaging function and... ridiculously comfortable.

There’s four-zone climate control, windows which have an electronic shade that turns the glass opaque, there are wireless phone chargers in the doors and carpet throughout so thick you sink down into it as you step inside.

Our LM 500h was upholstered in the 'Solis White' leather which also brings contrasting and mesmerising copper metallic trim.

Oh, and there’s a wall with an electric glass screen that can be raised or lowered to separate the rear passengers from the driver.

I should have mentioned this earlier. The kids loved it, but these parents spent a lot of time telling the 10- and three-year old not to put the screen up again.

The rear occupants, aka the kids, can also lock the screen in place. Which they did, and so sound proof is the dividing wall that we can only just hear their uproarious laughter.

Up front, the cockpit is comfortable but it’s clear all the space and luxury is for those being driven around.

Still, the front seats are leather with heating and ventilation, there’s a 14-inch media screen and 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, plus a head-up display. Sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard.

The F-150 has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 producing 298kW at 6000rpm and 678Nm at 3100rpm, and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is an impressive set-up – the long wheelbase F-150 is punchy off the mark, smooth and refined at highway speeds – it just trucks along – and overall it offers a comfortable and controlled driving experience.

This top-spec F-150 – the Lariat – also has full-time 4WD and an electronic rear diff lock.

Its selectable driving modes include 'Sport', 'Eco', 'Tow/Haul', 'Normal', 'Slippery', 'Deep Snow/Sand' and 'Mud Ruts'.

The LM 500h is a petrol-electric hybrid with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which makes 202kW/460Nm and works in concert with two electric motors.

The front motor makes 64kW/292Nm and the rear makes 76kW/169Nm. The combined maximum power output of the two motors and the petrol engine is 273kW.

The LM 500h is all wheel-drive and has a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Ford F-150 Lariat LWB has an official fuel consumption figure of 12.5L/100km (on a combined, urban/extra-urban, cycle).

I recorded 14.8L/100km on this test which included a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing although the F-150 was never working hard.

This F-150 has a 136L fuel tank, so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 920km from a full tank. 

If you calculate driving range using the official fuel-consumption figure that number extends to 1088km from a full tank.

Lexus says after a combination of urban and open roads the LM 500h should use 6.6L/100km. In our own testing we found consumption was higher at 9.4L/100km.

Worth noting my driving environment was mainly a hilly suburban one filled with school drop offs. Achieved some personal bests this week, with one long run to Sydney’s outskirts, only to return in nightmarish peak hour traffic.

Premium (95 RON) fuel is required and the tank size is 60 litres. In theory the driving range is a smidge more than 900km, which drops to around 640km using our real-world average.

F-150s are imported to Australia from the USA as left-hand-drive vehicles and reengineered to right-hand-drive by Melbourne-based RMA Automotive, at the company’s production facility.

The utes undergo an exhaustive transformation including changes to steering, driver displays, air con, as well as software upgrades, to mention a few, all aimed at making them capable of excelling in Aussie conditions.

And RMA Automotive has done an impressive job.

The F-150 is, by its very nature, a big vehicle with a steel ladder-frame chassis and a lengthy wheelbase, but it suits Aussie conditions, especially with Aussie-tuned steering, great on-road ride and handling and that 4500kg towing capability built into it. 

It's well-controlled with a solid, planted feel on sealed surfaces, the steering has a nice weight to it in all conditions, acceleration is smooth (and punchy when needed) and the 10-speed auto offers clever management of this big vehicle. 

It’s also very comfortable and quiet in the cabin. You can just barely register the low-level rumble of the twin-turbo V6 as you truck along stretches of highway and rural backroads.

All in all, on-road this is an almost perfect open-road touring vehicle. The bonus is, as a Lariat driver, you have access to a whole suite of driver-assist tech which specifically includes stuff geared towards making the task of towing safer, more controlled and, as a result, more enjoyable than it otherwise may be.

However, when you get this big ute off road, you quickly discover it has limitations. Those limitations don’t come close to ruining the F-150’s potential as an adventure machine, but this is a substantial vehicle so it has to be driven with real consideration, real care, and you have to know the off-road parameters in which this ute works best.

If you drive anything more severe than light-to-medium-duty off-roading you're risking damage to this ute’s side steps or underbody. 

The F-150’s size is not a factor when the tracks are nice and wide, but when the tracks become narrower, more treed-in, it becomes more difficult to navigate through those routes. 

The Lariat’s suspension – IFS (twin wishbone) with coil springs at the front and live axle on leaf springs at the rear – is well set up to soak up lumps and bumps on sealed surfaces and even on gravel tracks, but it is less capable of doing the same job during low-range 4WDing.

It becomes very bouncy, when you’d be excused for expecting that longer wheelbase would offer a bit more stability and control through shallow to moderate ruts, but it really is a wild ride. 

Beyond that, though, visibility is great, the driving position is commanding, steering at low speeds is well-weighted and precise and throttle response is impressive.

While there’s little to nit-pick in terms of the four-wheel drive system onboard this ute, the traction control system is somewhat clunky.

When the terrain becomes more challenging, that off-road traction control system just seems to whirr and click and clunk away with lacklustre application – it’s not exactly smooth or seamless. 

The F-150 has the kind of off-road angles you’d expect for a vehicle this large: approach angle is listed as 24 degrees, departure angle is 26.3 and the ramp-over is 19 degrees.

Ground clearance is listed as 225mm and wading depth is 600mm.

The tyres – Pirelli Scorpion ATR all-terrain light truck tyres (275/60R20) – aren’t that good for off-roading, either, even though they’re marketed as all-season tyres.

Bigger tyres and an aftermarket suspension lift would go some of the way to help sort out the F-150’s issues with less-than-ideal rubber as well as poor ground clearance and off-road angles.

For such a big ute, payload is an underwhelming 710kg; for reference, the Ram 1500 (878kg) and Chevrolet Silverado (757kg) offer more, and even mainstream dual-cab utes, such as the Ford Ranger (966kg (kerb weight)/1010kg (min kerb weight) offer better payloads.

Towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and a noteworthy 4500kg (braked). GVM is 3265kg, and GCM is 7765kg.

Quite simply, driving the LM 500h is like piloting a limousine on stilts. Superbly comfortable, but with an elevated driving position that offers outstanding forward and side visibility, the LM 500h is an easy vehicle to drive for long periods of time.

A digital rear vision mirror means visibility behind is good and unobstructed by the privacy screen or the seats.

The drawbacks are down to the lack of space up front, with the driver’s chair limited in its ability to recline or slide back due to the bulkhead behind it.

And that's compounded by the lack of cabin storage for bags if the front passenger seat is taken.

As for the rear passengers there aren't many people movers offering this level of comfort, except perhaps the Zeekr 009.

Variable suspension that adjusts continuously keeps the vehicle composed and provides a high level of comfort for those in the rear. At the same time, the LM stays nice and flat through roundabouts while remaining civilised over speed bumps.

And then there's the acceleration, which, while not supercar-like is incredibly brisk for a van. The all-wheel drive system provides outstanding traction in wet and slippery conditions, too. 

Our family used the LM daily for everything from school runs to shopping trips and weekends away and not only was it fun to drive, our lucky rear passengers enjoyed sitting high and being able to see clearly out their windows along with the luxury of a giant movie screen.

The Lexus  LM 500h is yet to be tested by ANCAP so it doesn't have a safety assessment score. There is, however, a high level of safety tech onboard including AEB which can detect pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other vehicles, emergency steering assist, lane keeping assistance, road sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors as well as six airbags.

For child seats there are ISOFIX points and top tether anchor mounts on the two rear seats. We have a forward facing child seat and found it easy to install.

A space-saver spare wheel is located under the boot floor.

The F-150 has a five-year/unlimited km warranty and you may pick up roadside assistance for up to seven years but it's worth noting not all Ford Dealers participate in providing the latter.

Servicing is scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km. Capped price servicing applies to the first four scheduled services and, at time of writing, was listed as $429 a pop which isn't outrageous for a vehicle of this magnitude.

Lexus covers the LM 500h with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. 

The Lexus Encore Platinum program is complimentary for LM owners for three years, providing 24-hour roadside assist, a loan vehicle or pick-up/return service at service time, 'On Demand' vehicle evaluation options, valet and airport parking benefits as well as exclusive offers and event opportunities.

Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000 kilometres, and impressively, pricing is capped at $695 per service over five years.